Blast hits industrial area at Zouk Mosbeh

ZOUK MOSBEH: Employees, store owners, friends and families joined forces on Friday to clear up the debris left behind from the bomb that rattled the industrial area of Zouk Mosbeh on Thursday evening. The explosion, which killed one person and wounded four, caused severe damage to the surrounding area because of the materials present inside the stores. Internal Security Forces (ISF) head General Ashraf Rifi told The Daily Star that the bomb was placed outside one of the stores in the area. "It was not placed underneath a car," he said. "It weighed approximately 20 kilograms. One person was killed and only two of the injured were critical."

On Friday, twisted metal poles, shattered glass and mangled cars, some of which were completely torn apart, littered the small street in Zouk Mosbeh where the bomb detonated. Oxygen tanks, some burned beyond recognition, lay on the ground in front of the stores. Spare machine parts were located meters away from the stores where they were being sold. "What can we do but start cleaning right away?" asked Elias Medawar, a mechanical engineer who owns an air-conditioning store in the area. "You get used to these things, and you go back to normal. There is nothing else to do."

A statement issued by the Zouk Municipality and traders and industrialists said immediate measures will be taken to raise security in the region. Officials have been urged to assess the damage and pay compensation as quickly as possible. Siraj Mourse, owner of Snack Paminos, said she was determined to get business back on track as quickly as possible. "We are workers, and we work everyday, my husband and I," she said. "We come here, we work, and that is what we live off – we don’t have huge savings, so we need to get back to work as quickly as possible." Outside her little cafe was a row of refrigerators and freezers damaged in the blast. Glass from the fridges and windows covered the floor inside the cafe. The entire kitchen was destroyed. On the back wall hung a clock which read 9:16, the time the explosion occurred Thursday evening.

Estimating her damages at approximately $3,000, she still managed to smile and give away drinks to the workers in the area. "They’re good, hardworking people here," she said. The irony behind the bombing for Mourse was that on Thursday afternoon local entrepreneurs had held a meeting to discuss the issue of security. "Some of us wanted to bring in security, others didn’t," she said. "Now look what happened."

Near her cafe was Nerses, which sold refrigerator and washing-machine parts. Collecting the stock that the blast threw onto the street was Nayiri Telvisian, whose brother owns the store. "It’s going to cost around $15,000 to fix everything, and, on top of that, all these parts around us are useless, so we had to re-order everything," she said. The store holding the oxygen tanks now houses a massive crater in the middle of the floor, as a result of several tanks piercing the ground when they burst. Across the street from the store an oxygen tank was embedded in a concrete wall, apparently having been blown across the street by the pressure of the blast and the tank’s oxygen contents. Garage owner and mechanic Chadi Khoury said it would take him about a month to open his business again, because he has to replace every wall and doorway. It was his wall where the oxygen tank was lodged. "If I could leave Lebanon, I really would, but I can’t," he said, looking at the eight damaged cars in his garage. "We’ve had enough of all of this," said his friend Manuel Gabrian, who came to help. "We’ve been seeing this for 30 years, and nothing is stopping. The war hasn’t finished."

Video of the scene showed several buildings burning.

Zouk Mosbeh is a predominately Christian neighborhood north of Beirut. (Posted 9:45 p.m.) Please click read more to view more pictures

BEIRUT, Lebanon AP- A bomb went off Thursday night in a Christian area north of Beirut, the latest in a string of explosions that have shaken Lebanon since fighting began between army troops and Islamic militants in a northern refugee camp three weeks ago. Security officials said the blast occurred in an industrial area in Zouk Mousbeh, about 12 miles from Beirut and near the Christian town of Jounieh. There was no immediate word on casualties. The explosion set off large fires, and black smoke billowed from the area

BEIRUT (CNN) — A large explosion and a fire that followed damaged buildings in an industrial area in the Christ the King section of Zouk Mosbeh, Lebanon, Thursday evening, an official with Internal Lebanese security forces said.

A Red Cross official said there were casualties, Lebanon’s LBC Television reported.

Lebanese army soldiers keep local residents away, after a bomb went off in Zouk Mousbeh, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Beirut and near the Christian town of Jounieh, in Lebanon Thursday, June 7, 2007. A bomb went off near a Christian town north of Beirut on Thursday, in the latest string of explosions that have shaken Lebanon since fighting erupted between army troops and Islamic militants in a northern refugee camp three weeks ago. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

• Lebanese firemen help an injured colleague after an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/George Abdallah (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 33 minutes ago

• Lebanese firemen extinguish fire after an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/Shamoun Daher (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 57 minutes ago

• Lebanese army soldiers keep local residents away, after a bomb went off in Zouk Mousbeh, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Beirut and near the Christian town of Jounieh, in Lebanon Thursday, June 7, 2007. A bomb went off near a Christian town north of Beirut on Thursday, in the latest string of explosions that have shaken Lebanon since fighting erupted between army troops and Islamic militants in a northern refugee camp three weeks ago. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

  AP via Yahoo! News – 24 minutes ago

• Lebanese policemen secure the site of an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/Shamoun Daher (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 56 minutes ago

• Lebanese firemen extinguish fire after an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/Shamoun Daher (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 1 hour, 5 minutes ago

• Lebanese soldiers secure the site of an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/Shamoun Daher (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 1 hour, 4 minutes ago

• Lebanese fireman extinguish fire after an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/George Abdallah (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 1 hour, 13 minutes ago

• Lebanese firemen extinguish fire after an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, causing a fire and extensive damage, security sources and witnesses said. REUTERS/George Abdallah (LEBANON)

  Reuters via Yahoo! News – 1 hour, 13 minutes ago

• Lebanese firemen extinguish fire after an explosion in Zouk Mosbeh area, north Lebanon, June 7, 2007. An explosion rocked a Christian industrial area north of Beirut on Thursday night, killing one civilian and wounding four others, security sources said. REUTERS/Hussam Shbaro (LEBANON)